Bach prelude and Fuge E minor first book Beethoven Mondschein sonata
Bach/brahms Chaconne for left hand. Which I putt in the audition part of this website
Rachmaninov first version of his first pianoconcerto
Mozart 23th concerto

This program is for my comming concerts in USA in a week.

After america I will start:

C minor prelude and fuge first book
Schumann first movement of fantasy op.17
Schubert A major Sonata (the small one)

_________________music is enough for lifetime but lifetime isn't enough for music 'rachmaninoff'

I have added the Chopin 25/1 etude to my plate (the harp one in a-flat). It was the first Chopin etude I ever played in public, and it was horrible (I was 16 or 17). I haven't re-learned all of the notes, but I can play the first page at performance tempo (actually faster than Mikuli marked it) without any tension or anything, so I think I'm going to be okay on this one.

I am also working on the Bach organ passacaglia in c minor for some reason. I think I need to go to rehab for Bach addiction...

I am also working on the Bach organ passacaglia in c minor for some reason. I think I need to go to rehab for Bach addiction...

Don't do that !Anyway, you plaing organ as well now ? And the Passacaglia for starters ? That is a bit ambitious... I'd kick off with the Trio Sonatas

haha, I am nothing if not ambitious! I haven't started working on the pedal part yet - I recorded it on my digital (with a metronome) and have been practicing the manual parts over the recorded pedal track. Have even gotten the hang of the big pedal gap, and the timing. Tricky stuff, but quite doable. I have played around on the school organ in the middle of the night a few times, but want to have the manual parts down before I start working on playing it on multiple manuals, and with stops, and pedals. I don't even know how to work an organ but I will figure it out.

And it's the piece that makes me want to play the organ, not the other way around! We don't have an organ professor at my school any more, but one of my theory profs plays organ, and he's going to help me. He says when I'm ready to play it for general recital class, he'll pull stops for me.

That's the spirit Though I consider recording the pedal part first and then filling in the manual parts cheating. Big time

Terez wrote:

And it's the piece that makes me want to play the organ, not the other way around! We don't have an organ professor at my school any more, but one of my theory profs plays organ, and he's going to help me. He says when I'm ready to play it for general recital class, he'll pull stops for me.

I played through the Passacaglia one or two times, and while it's far from trivial, it is not terribly hard compared to some other of Bach's big organ guns. I may want to pick it up again when I'm "done" with the Clavier Ubung.

I don't know why, I've just lost the desire to play piano. It's gone and it's apparently not coming back. I find the practice boring, tedious and pointless. SO much so, I've sold my piano and will be glad to never see one again.

Sorry to disappoint. Maybe I just pushed for technical perfection to the point of burnout. I've even closed my studio. I'm a CPhT, Certified pharmacy technician, now. I can't even remember why I wanted to attain such a level of skill at the piano. I look back at it and think "I had an unhealthy obsession", well the obsession is gone and so is the music, unfortunately.

I don't know what happened. One day, during practice I just "snapped", got this sense of rage, slammed down the cover and never touched the keys again. It's been a year since I've played.

I don't even listen to Classical music any more. I find it unmoving and pedantic.

As of now, I'm probably as confused as you are, but it is what it is.

I even had a brain scan to make sure I didn't have something physiologically wrong with me, all results negative.

Anyway it's been fun hanging out, but I don't fit this niche anymore. I'm too busy at work to spend much time in forums anymore, so don't be surprised if this is the last you hear from me.

Hey Pete...I would have loved to welcome you back - you were always great fun on the forum. But it seems we lost you. It is a really sad story. Quitting piano playing is one thing, however drastic, but completely denouncing classical music is even worse. If you find classical music unmoving, what can move you ?In the words of composer Michael Torke : Who needs a psychiatrist when you can listen to the B Minor Mass ?Yes your obsession with technical matters was always apparent, but I thought it was fuelled by a love for the music. If that was not the case, there was indeed little point to it.

Well, um, what to say..... All best to you, and come back when you feel like it. My advise would be to take up classical music again as a listener, maybe avoiding piano music.

I don't know why, I've just lost the desire to play piano. It's gone and it's apparently not coming back. I find the practice boring, tedious and pointless. SO much so, I've sold my piano and will be glad to never see one again.

Sorry to disappoint. Maybe I just pushed for technical perfection to the point of burnout. I've even closed my studio. I'm a CPhT, Certified pharmacy technician, now. I can't even remember why I wanted to attain such a level of skill at the piano. I look back at it and think "I had an unhealthy obsession", well the obsession is gone and so is the music, unfortunately.

I don't know what happened. One day, during practice I just "snapped", got this sense of rage, slammed down the cover and never touched the keys again. It's been a year since I've played.

I don't even listen to Classical music any more. I find it unmoving and pedantic.

As of now, I'm probably as confused as you are, but it is what it is.

I even had a brain scan to make sure I didn't have something physiologically wrong with me, all results negative.

Anyway it's been fun hanging out, but I don't fit this niche anymore. I'm too busy at work to spend much time in forums anymore, so don't be surprised if this is the last you hear from me.

Good grief, man, that doesn't sound good. Maybe a little break would be good for you?

Thanks for letting us know. We'll be glad to hear from you anytime. Keep up that good pharmacy job!

_________________Though everything else may appear shallow and repulsive, even the smallest task in music is so absorbing, and carries us so far away from town, country, earth, and all worldly things, that it is truly a blessed gift of God.

I don't know why, I've just lost the desire to play piano. It's gone and it's apparently not coming back. I find the practice boring, tedious and pointless. SO much so, I've sold my piano and will be glad to never see one again.

Sorry to disappoint. Maybe I just pushed for technical perfection to the point of burnout. I've even closed my studio. I'm a CPhT, Certified pharmacy technician, now. I can't even remember why I wanted to attain such a level of skill at the piano. I look back at it and think "I had an unhealthy obsession", well the obsession is gone and so is the music, unfortunately.

I don't know what happened. One day, during practice I just "snapped", got this sense of rage, slammed down the cover and never touched the keys again. It's been a year since I've played.

I don't even listen to Classical music any more. I find it unmoving and pedantic.

As of now, I'm probably as confused as you are, but it is what it is.

I even had a brain scan to make sure I didn't have something physiologically wrong with me, all results negative.

Anyway it's been fun hanging out, but I don't fit this niche anymore. I'm too busy at work to spend much time in forums anymore, so don't be surprised if this is the last you hear from me.

Oh, my!! I do hope that a year or more off can rejuvenate your interest! I have become burned out for a period of around a week before. And you know what? I played better than ever when I opened the piano again and practiced after the rest. Who knows? A rest might do your technique all the good in the world.

I recommend continuing to listen to classical music. Instead of listening to piano music, try other instruments/ensembles for a while. I've been listening to a lot of violin music lately rather than piano. And I go through periods where I only listen to popular music.

Now I am beginning to work two recordings, including my own for Parma Recordings/Naxos. Both CDs are works of American living composers.Composers such as Carter Pann, Robert Rollin, Raina Murnak, Matthew Lewis, David Lipten and others.

Now I am beginning to work two recordings, including my own for Parma Recordings/Naxos. Both CDs are works of American living composers.Composers such as Carter Pann, Robert Rollin, Raina Murnak, Matthew Lewis, David Lipten and others.

Also working on my schedule for 2010-2011 and 2011-2012.

By the way, I love the new forums

David Lipten? I had this weird moment where I thought I knew somebody but for some reason did not know he was a composer. Alas, it is not the same man. But this man has a site, I see:

Interesting stuff! I can't wait for your recordings to be out, 1) so I can gain access to the music you do well to promote, and 2) so I can support you, the fine artist who so well points your talents in a direction profitably for us all.

Not sure yet if I'll prepare something in case they want an encore. I have a feeling I wouldn't get to play it anyway. I didn't last year at my recital in the spring... Barely got to come out for a second bow at the end of the recital haha! I can't wait to start reworking that prokofiev sonata movement. It was always one of my favourites when I played it a couple years ago. Originally, I was planning on having the prokofiev 3rd sonata in it's place, but I injured my right 5th finger practicing it, was not able to practice for 2 weeks and then had the flu for a week after that, so a lot of lost time and now I'm a little scared to start working on it again right away/wouldn't have enough time to learn it now anyway (I know, I'm a psychological basketcase ).

After my recital, I'm going to start working on Scriabin's 5th sonata (my first scriabin! I'm REALLY excited... I've been getting into him a lot lately), and some other stuff I'm sure. Just don't know yet what it will be

_________________The sentence below this is false.
The sentence above this is true.

I don't think Robert is my friend. And I don't really 'hang out' on Facebook but I do check it every day. I got out of the habit of checking PS every day when the semester crunch invaded about a month before juries.

I don't think Robert is my friend. And I don't really 'hang out' on Facebook but I do check it every day. I got out of the habit of checking PS every day when the semester crunch invaded about a month before juries.

But he hangs out there a lot. Or checks it, whetever I wonder if maybe the concept of a discussion forum is outdated, and we should move our asses over to Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, or some other social network.

I wonder if maybe the concept of a discussion forum is outdated, and we should move our asses over to Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, or some other social network.

Not exactly. Many websites message boards thrive with the help of these tools, but they are not good places for discussions, nor are they good places to centralize your audition room. YouTube attracts more idiots than anything else, and you can't require people to upload video when it will likely cost a good bit in sound quality even compared to mp3.

For instance, if I am in one of those periods where I'm not paying attention to PS and you update your status every time you upload something here, then you might attract me over here to comment. 'Oh, look! Chris has posted some Bach-whatever; I should go listen and see if I can find anything to nitpick about it.' Not that you care about my comments specifically; it would probably be the same for everyone you are connected to. Also, if you or anyone else were to do that via Twitter, you can set Facebook so that all Twitter updates show up in the Facebook feed.

Not exactly. Many websites message boards thrive with the help of these tools, but they are not good places for discussions, nor are they good places to centralize your audition room. YouTube attracts more idiots than anything else, and you can't require people to upload video when it will likely cost a good bit in sound quality even compared to mp3.

I wasn't suggesting those other places are better in every way, only that many people seem to prefer them these days. I think that is part of the reason why the forum gets ever more deserted.

Terez wrote:

For instance, if I am in one of those periods where I'm not paying attention to PS and you update your status every time you upload something here, then you might attract me over here to comment. 'Oh, look! Chris has posted some Bach-whatever; I should go listen and see if I can find anything to nitpick about it.'

Currentely working on..Chopin Etudes op. 10 nos. 3 & 12 (Already have a portion of these in my head, but they will still be very difficult. )Rachmaninoff Prelude op. 32 no. 10 (My favorite! The rhythms in the recapitulation are destroying my brain, though.)Scriabin op. 11 no. 1 (Which has triplets, but they are not marked as triplets )

My teacher is on vacation, so I'll have to have all of these prepared by the time she gets back. Hopefully I'll survive

_________________Carrying on to work on Schubert Impromptus op.9 nos.1,3&4 after competition. Going to learn no.2 to complete the set. Carrying on with Czerny op.299 from Bk 2 & working on a couple of Bach P+F's

After a long hiatus from Classical (played mostly Jazz, and Pop since H.S. and I'm 50 now) currently I'm working on:Bach WTC Book 1, Prelude and Fugue #1 In C, and Prelude No. 2 in C minorBrahms Intermezzo in A Op. 118, No. 2 (this one was kicking my you know what, but I'm starting to get it now). Mozart Alla Turca, from Sonata No.11 K. 331Mozart Sonata in C K545

_________________Amateur pianist, and Church Musician, who plays for the love of it!!

Learning:Bach Toccata in c minor(going to start it again next week....took a break from it for ages)Prokofiev Sonata in d minor op.14 1st mvt. (will start the 2nd mvt. soon)Rachmaninoff Rhapsody on the theme of Paganini (just started)Schumann Piano Concerto (reviving-learnt this 4 years ago)Chopin Etudes op.10 no.2& op.25 no.6Liszt Feux FolletsCzerny School of Velocity

_________________Carrying on to work on Schubert Impromptus op.9 nos.1,3&4 after competition. Going to learn no.2 to complete the set. Carrying on with Czerny op.299 from Bk 2 & working on a couple of Bach P+F's

I am still working on Chopin 25/11 after about 9 months. The sad thing is that I haven't worked on much else in that time, but it is coming along, and I think I can do it proud in April at my last recital (probably ever). About a month ago I started working on Chopin 10/2 to try to help with the RH of 25/11. They are not the same but I think that's part of the benefit. So, now I am thinking I will be able to play 10/2 on my recital as well, and I might try to rework 25/6 as well, which I was never able to get at a decent performance tempo before (aside from being nowhere near the marked tempo). All three of those etudes are connected by different approaches to chromatic maneuvering in 3-4-5 of the RH. If 25/6 is too ambitious I might play 25/1 instead.

I'm also doing the Bach c minor partita, which is of course anguishing for me because there is so much I love about it and so much I hear in my head that I'll never be able to pull off with just three more months to work on it. I love this partita because the opportunities for expanding the written voices seem to me to be much more pronounced than they usually are in Bach's music (and of course, Bach was better at this than anyone else, so it's an ever-present thing in all of his music...just more so in this partita). This is especially noticeable in the allemande, and a bit less so in the sarabande, sinfonia, and rondo, even less so in the capriccio, and least of all in the courante where the voices are already written at max expansion for the most part. Anyway, that's only part of what I dig about this partita.

And because my teacher insisted I play a Beethoven sonata for my senior recital (I didn't play one for my junior recital), I'm doing the Pathétique because it seems to me to be in many ways connected to the c minor partita and I can pontificate a bit about that in program notes. I like pontificating. But if I remember correctly, Beethoven was not all that familiar with Bach when he was younger? Maybe I'm remembering wrong; that might have been Mozart (not that he was ever really anything but young). I will have to research it, but whatever the case, there are some interesting similarities. I was never able to play the first movement when I was younger, but I should be able to handle it now.

I'm also considering doing another Chopin group. Maybe some of the easier mazurkas or preludes. Maybe a group of (gasp!) another composer.

Yeah indeed, at last someone notices my handywork I did that for the sole purpose of getting you to consider *gasp* another composer. There are others, you know, who are not half bad And I see you took the hint, programming Beethoven

On the bright side, that piece of manuscript is by Bach. Guess you figured that already.

So what's this about your 'last recital (probably ever)' ? You gonna make like Pete and quit ?

But if I remember correctly, Beethoven was not all that familiar with Bach when he was younger? Maybe I'm remembering wrong; that might have been Mozart (not that he was ever really anything but young).

You're probably thinking of Mozart. He started looking at the Well-Tempered Clavier in 1782.

My teacher from canada is back again . She wants to work on Schubert Impromptus op.90 nos.1,3&4 which I played at my competition slightly more than a week ago, am learning no.2 now. Have carried on with Czerny op.299... And she just assigned me Beethoven's 32 Variations (This is what I got when I told her I needed a break from exams& competition rep and I needed something i could enjoy...at the same time no complaints since she is serious about pushing me further)

Hello,I've been working my way through Schubert's piano works, just finishing Opus 142 in F Minor, and wanted to solicit opinions on good pieces to practice/play this year.Beethoven thrills me, but I've worked through most of his major piano compositions (not all of them, of course).Schubert seems to have the right combination of thoughtfulness and strong melody, and that is what I'm looking for.

Does Mozart have anything in adagio or a somber mood for piano? The only thing I can think of is Requiem.

Thanks in advance and please keep playing in 2012. The world needs it.

Best regards,

Mark

_________________"When you play the piano, you are playing the audiences' lives" - Van Cliburn

The first thing of Mozart's that comes to my mind because I played it recently is the second movement of K.570. It's very slow and the middle part is somber with the outer parts being ever so beautiful.

_________________"Simplicity is the highest goal, achievable when you have overcome all difficulties." ~ Frederic Chopin

I can never understand people who don't know what they should be playing. Personally I have trouble deciding what not to play... even after discounting a zillion pieces that are out of my reach. The piano literature is so vast, it is like taking a drink from a firehose.

Well, Mozart's Requiem is hardly a piano piece, but most of his piano sonatas have slow movements which I'm sure would suit.

Mostly these are the second movements, for example of K279, 280, 281, 309, 310, 330, 332, 333, 457, 533, 545, and 576, in addition to K570 which Monica mentioned. Also the 1st movements of K282 and K331 (though the latter is only slow in places - these are the lovely variations in the sonata otherwise famous for the Turkish march).

My favourites from the above list are K280, 330, 331, 332 (but this has one bar containing a rather fast run, if you play the 1st edition version rather than the manuscript version), and of course the charmingly simple K545.

The thing to remember about Mozart is that although much of his stuff is fairly easy to play "correctly" (in a mechanical technical sense), it's not all that easy to play well (in a musical sense). There is much emotion lurking in there, dying to be let out. You just have to feel it deep inside you, it's something you either have or not, I don't know if it can really be "learned". It's so easy to play Mozart badly despite all the notes being in the right place.

The first thing of Mozart's that comes to my mind because I played it recently is the second movement of K.570. It's very slow and the middle part is somber with the outer parts being ever so beautiful.

This was the first Sonata I ever learned. I had a heart attack when my teacher told me I had to have it all memorized! It is beautiful Mozart.

_________________Eddy M. del Rio, MD"A smattering will not do. They must know all the keys, major and minor, and they must literally 'know them backwards.'" - Josef Lhevinne

I appreciate all of your input, and will check out Mozart's K.570.Chris is correct, surveying the classical music repertoire is like drinking from a firehose.There is so much to be heard, and really listened to, that it takes a lifetime.

Yes, playing "correctly" and "well" are two different things. I try to play "well" because note perfection seems to escape me.

Thank you all for your thoughts.

Mark

_________________"When you play the piano, you are playing the audiences' lives" - Van Cliburn

OK, I have found a Mozart piece, having just heard Eschenbach. K.333 has a "quiet beauty" to it that I'm looking for.Will check out the performances of it on the Piano Society website, and maybe some day post a recording for it. (What am I saying??????)

LOLThanks

Mark

_________________"When you play the piano, you are playing the audiences' lives" - Van Cliburn

Hello,I've been working my way through Schubert's piano works, just finishing Opus 142 in F Minor, and wanted to solicit opinions on good pieces to practice/play this year.Beethoven thrills me, but I've worked through most of his major piano compositions (not all of them, of course).Schubert seems to have the right combination of thoughtfulness and strong melody, and that is what I'm looking for.

Does Mozart have anything in adagio or a somber mood for piano? The only thing I can think of is Requiem.

Thanks in advance and please keep playing in 2012. The world needs it.

Best regards,

Mark

Take a look at his Adagio in b minor and rondo in a minor.I learnt and performed the b minor adagio last year, it's a beautiful work!

_________________Carrying on to work on Schubert Impromptus op.9 nos.1,3&4 after competition. Going to learn no.2 to complete the set. Carrying on with Czerny op.299 from Bk 2 & working on a couple of Bach P+F's

And more of a long term project:Kapustin- SonatinaI'm actively working on it, it's just quite difficult for poor old beginner David and is going to take a while to master.

For mark:

These might not be quite what you're looking for, but have you heard the Mozart fantasies in d-minor and c-minor? They're both lovely pieces and I would highly recommend them. Unfortunately, the c-minor is a bit beyond my ability to play at the moment

Hi David, welcome. Some interesting pieces you are working on ! The Kapustin has some tricky spots and it's not easy to blend its classicistic and jazzy features. But it's a fun and rewarding piece to work on. I'll be interested to see how you're getting on with it.

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